NASHVILLE – Gary Bettman said his relationship with the union has never been better.
Perhaps that's why he is willing to stick around as NHL commissioner into the next decade.
Bettman signed a contract through 2022, he confirmed in an interview Sunday on the NHL Network before the All-Star Game.
The deal was first reported by Sports Illustrated earlier in the day.
"This happened many, many months ago," Bettman said.
He has been the league's leader since 1993, when it had 24 teams. Now it has 30 franchises and there may be one or two more in a couple of years.
After Bettman's state-of-the-league news conference Saturday, he said the World Cup of Hockey and the 3-on-3 format for overtime and the All-Star Game are "great examples" of how well he and NHL Players' Association Executive Director Don Fehr are getting along.
"Don has brought stability and strength to the union, and that's a good thing," Bettman said. "He's been a good working partner. That doesn't mean we agree on everything, but we're communicating well and working things out."
